diff --git a/MAINTAINERS b/MAINTAINERS
index f144b5af44..19f67dc5d2 100644
--- a/MAINTAINERS
+++ b/MAINTAINERS
@@ -2198,6 +2198,8 @@ M: Zhenzhong Duan <zhenzhong.duan@intel.com>
 S: Supported
 F: backends/iommufd.c
 F: include/sysemu/iommufd.h
+F: backends/host_iommu_device.c
+F: include/sysemu/host_iommu_device.h
 F: include/qemu/chardev_open.h
 F: util/chardev_open.c
 F: docs/devel/vfio-iommufd.rst
diff --git a/backends/host_iommu_device.c b/backends/host_iommu_device.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8f2dda1beb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backends/host_iommu_device.c
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+/*
+ * Host IOMMU device abstract
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2024 Intel Corporation.
+ *
+ * Authors: Zhenzhong Duan <zhenzhong.duan@intel.com>
+ *
+ * This work is licensed under the terms of the GNU GPL, version 2.  See
+ * the COPYING file in the top-level directory.
+ */
+
+#include "qemu/osdep.h"
+#include "sysemu/host_iommu_device.h"
+
+OBJECT_DEFINE_ABSTRACT_TYPE(HostIOMMUDevice,
+                            host_iommu_device,
+                            HOST_IOMMU_DEVICE,
+                            OBJECT)
+
+static void host_iommu_device_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
+{
+}
+
+static void host_iommu_device_init(Object *obj)
+{
+}
+
+static void host_iommu_device_finalize(Object *obj)
+{
+    HostIOMMUDevice *hiod = HOST_IOMMU_DEVICE(obj);
+
+    g_free(hiod->name);
+}
diff --git a/backends/meson.build b/backends/meson.build
index 8b2b111497..106312f0c8 100644
--- a/backends/meson.build
+++ b/backends/meson.build
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ if host_os != 'windows'
 endif
 if host_os == 'linux'
   system_ss.add(files('hostmem-memfd.c'))
+  system_ss.add(files('host_iommu_device.c'))
 endif
 if keyutils.found()
     system_ss.add(keyutils, files('cryptodev-lkcf.c'))
diff --git a/include/sysemu/host_iommu_device.h b/include/sysemu/host_iommu_device.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..db47a16189
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/sysemu/host_iommu_device.h
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+/*
+ * Host IOMMU device abstract declaration
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2024 Intel Corporation.
+ *
+ * Authors: Zhenzhong Duan <zhenzhong.duan@intel.com>
+ *
+ * This work is licensed under the terms of the GNU GPL, version 2.  See
+ * the COPYING file in the top-level directory.
+ */
+
+#ifndef HOST_IOMMU_DEVICE_H
+#define HOST_IOMMU_DEVICE_H
+
+#include "qom/object.h"
+#include "qapi/error.h"
+
+#define TYPE_HOST_IOMMU_DEVICE "host-iommu-device"
+OBJECT_DECLARE_TYPE(HostIOMMUDevice, HostIOMMUDeviceClass, HOST_IOMMU_DEVICE)
+
+struct HostIOMMUDevice {
+    Object parent_obj;
+
+    char *name;
+};
+
+/**
+ * struct HostIOMMUDeviceClass - The base class for all host IOMMU devices.
+ *
+ * Different types of host devices (e.g., VFIO or VDPA device) or devices
+ * with different backend (e.g., VFIO legacy container or IOMMUFD backend)
+ * will have different implementations of the HostIOMMUDeviceClass.
+ */
+struct HostIOMMUDeviceClass {
+    ObjectClass parent_class;
+
+    /**
+     * @realize: initialize host IOMMU device instance further.
+     *
+     * Mandatory callback.
+     *
+     * @hiod: pointer to a host IOMMU device instance.
+     *
+     * @opaque: pointer to agent device of this host IOMMU device,
+     *          e.g., VFIO base device or VDPA device.
+     *
+     * @errp: pass an Error out when realize fails.
+     *
+     * Returns: true on success, false on failure.
+     */
+    bool (*realize)(HostIOMMUDevice *hiod, void *opaque, Error **errp);
+};
+#endif